The advent of the cloud has made physical hardware and physical servers obsolete, especially for small businesses. What started as a unique method of data storage has become something much bigger, with private cloud services and public cloud computing integrating into our daily lives.
What Exactly Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a catch-all term that describes accessing data from a remote server using an internet connection. The earliest cloud service providers offered storage on their remote data center for sensitive data backups and web hosting on their servers.
Since then, cloud-based services have expanded dramatically, and the types of cloud computing applications seem to grow daily. Currently, three main cloud applications can affect your business.
Infrastructure as a Service
IaaS offers businesses and individuals the benefits of cloud infrastructure such as servers, networks, and even computing power. While cloud storage and web hosting are two good examples, many new public cloud services offer more cloud computing resources than ever. Cloud providers can supply massive processing power for a fraction of the cost that would otherwise require expensive and highly technical infrastructure to build.
Platform as a Service
PaaS provides a comprehensive cloud computing service for developers. It’s a platform that contains the necessary operating systems, developer tools, and a dedicated cloud environment. Developers can create, test, and deploy anything from small web apps to large-scale enterprise applications, all within the virtual platform.
Many large companies have started offering PaaS products, including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Amazon Web Services. These virtual servers offer a host of useful services and provide the underlying infrastructure necessary to run these services and tools.
Software as a Service
Very few businesses have the time or inclination to spend time on software licensing, installations, and updates. As the business grows, the need to maintain software becomes increasingly time-consuming and costly.
Software as a Service offers businesses the opportunity to use centrally managed software that they don’t have to develop or maintain. Instead of spending time reinventing the wheel, working with a private cloud service provider will give them access to the best software for the task without the need for updates or management.
How Cloud Computing Services Will Affect Your Business
Many businesses have already discovered the benefits of cloud computing, especially in taking advantage of cloud resources. However, the cloud processing landscape continues to evolve, with businesses using multiple clouds and virtual machines to take their business to the next level.
With the advent of public clouds, in addition to private clouds accessible to only a few people, cloud computing services continue to affect the way we live and do business.
Operational improvements
It’s easier than ever to take a small local business and turn it into a global entity within days. Many SaaS companies provide easy-to-use products that make everything from inventory management and e-commerce to enterprise management simple, changing the way companies operate. Companies that get access to these tools can streamline their business, improving efficiency while still lowering costs.
Data security has become a massive topic, as data breaches can wreck a company’s reputation and ability to function. Most companies without a plan can take up to six months to recover from a breach, which often leads to irrevocable damage.
Cloud security services protect organizational data without the need for security experts. Businesses can rest assured that their data is relatively safe and manage their risks using cloud services.
Cloud services will change how you interact with customers
The public cloud adds a layer of personalization to the customer-business relationship. Having several data centers worldwide allows customer-facing businesses to interact with their global customers regardless of time or location.
As the Internet of Things and smart home applications continue to grow, you’ll also be able to access even more information about your customers from the public cloud, allowing you to give them a tailored experience throughout every interaction.
Use your cloud provider to manage big data
Very few companies have the computing infrastructure to handle the terabytes of information that flows through a business. Financial services have already transitioned to cloud computing to handle the massive computational load they need.
In addition to better infrastructure, your cloud provider may also provide access to artificial intelligence solutions that will take your business to the next level.
Serverless cloud computing
While servers are still necessary for most cloud computing work, there’s a shift from organizations running data centers to a more centralized approach. Many companies use content delivery networks which make their data center location irrelevant.
Private cloud platforms also allow developers to work without the constraints of a particular operating system or other infrastructure limitations. Since the platform can determine the resources needed, the company will never pay more than necessary to get the service and infrastructure they need at that time.
Network Elites Can Help
The cloud is a powerful tool for any business. It can transform the way you operate and interact with customers while saving you money on infrastructure and resources. As more and more information moves into the cloud, the way we think about data will also continue to change.
If you want to stay at the forefront of technological advancement, get in touch with Network Elites. We offer many managed IT services and can suggest the right solution for you. Whether you need a single service or want hybrid cloud functionality, we’ll recommend the right product to take your business to the next level. Don’t hesitate. Find out what we can do for you today!
